Mission Hospital was founded in Mission Viejo in 1971 and has continued to develop new programs and services to meet the ever changing needs of the community. In 1993, Mission Hospital partnered with CHOC Children’s to provide pediatric services and a year later, became a member of the St. Joseph Health network of care. In 2009, Mission Hospital expanded its geographic footprint to include south Orange County’s coast line by acquiring Mission Hospital Laguna Beach.

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Mission Hospital has an award-winning staff that is leading the way in medical ingenuity. Our accomplishments have led to such awards as the Outstanding Achievement Award for the Commission on Cancer in 2008 – causing us to be one of 66 hospitals in the entire nation to be honored. Combining care for the mind, body and spirit, we take a unique approach to every individual patient.

The Mission Hospital Foundation embodies the Spirit of Giving by building lifelong relationships with community members and raising funds to support Mission Hospital.
Mission Hospital Foundation will be the critical force in supporting Mission Hospital's vision to serve the community with the most advanced diagnostic care in the world.

Heart Institute

Ventricular Tachycardia

Ventricular tachycardias evaluation and treatment are complicated because
it often occurs in life-threatening situations that dictate rapid diagnosis
and treatment.

Ventricular tachycardia is defined as three or more beats of ventricular
origin (lower chamber of the heart) in succession at a rate greater than
100 beats/minute. The rhythm is usually regular, but may be slightly irregular.
It may be well-tolerated, but may also be associated with grave, life-threatening
compromise.

Ventricular tachycardia can be referred to as sustained, lasting at least
30 seconds, or nonsustained. Sustained generally requires termination
by antiarrhythmia drugs, antitachycardia pacing techniques or electrical
cardioversion. Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia is short (three beats
or longer) and terminate spontaneously.

In general, ventricular tachycardia affects the diseased heart, although
it has been described in patients with apparently normal hearts. It is
usually associated with coronary artery disease. Patients who have ventricular
tachycardia in the absence of coronary artery disease have other cardiac
abnormalities, including cardiomyopathy, mitral valve prolapse, valvular
heart disease, QT interval prolongation and, in an otherwise normal heart,
an abnormality described as primary electrical instability. Other causes
of ventricular tachycardia include sarcoidosis, beginning treatment in
patients with myxedema and drugs such as digitalis, and other antiarrhythmia
agents. Occasional runs of tachycardia are initiated by a change in posture,
exercise, emotional excitement or vagal stimulation.

Treatment

Ventricular tachycardia when sustained but stable is initially treated
with medications; however, ventricular tachycardia that is unstable should
be treated as a life threatening condition.